Currently, almost all instant-winner lottery tickets are sold “over-the-counter” (i.e., clerk assisted in retail locations) and through vending machines (i.e., clerk assisted dispensing machines and self-service dispensing machines). In both cases, the instant-winner lottery tickets at the retail locations or in the vending machines are “completed” and “activated” lottery tickets. “Completed” for purposes of those tickets means that all of the play data necessary to determine if the ticket is a winner or loser is pre-printed on the ticket when the ticket is originally created. The play data is generally covered by a scratch-off material to conceal the result until the ticket is purchased and the scratch-off material is removed. “Activated” for purposes of those tickets means that the ticket is a live ticket and ready for sale in the particular lottery's system so that the system has stored information as to whether the ticket is a winner or loser, and the amount of any win. These types of tickets are referred to as traditional instant-winner lottery tickets.
In effect, the completed and activated traditional instant-winner lottery ticket is a “bearer instrument” which can be cashed by anyone who holds it. Therefore, it is a prime candidate to be stolen.
Years ago traditional instant-winner lottery tickets were activated at time of printing in a highly secure printing facility. Over the years, lotteries have implemented extensive tracking and activation programs for these traditional instant-winner lottery tickets so instead of the tickets being required to be activated at time of printing, they could be activated as reasonably close to the sale process as possible to minimize risk of theft and pilferage as well as provide better inventory tracking. Some programs even provide the option to activate the tickets just before they are put into counter displays or instant ticket vending machines where they are offered for sale. The activation process is performed in “batches” where the ticket itself is not individually activated and scanned, but rather a “batch” of tickets is activated by scanning the bar code on the outside of the ticket batch and communicating that information to an off-site host computer system.
Even though the activation process for traditional instant-winner lottery tickets is performed by a host computer and as close to the sale process as possible, all of these traditional instant-winner lottery tickets are still activated prior to sale. Further, all of the traditional instant-winner lottery tickets have completed play data so no further information is required subsequent to purchase in order to determine the outcome of the game.
As described herein, there are a number of limitations and issues associated with the traditional instant-winner lottery tickets and the systems used today, as well as limitations and issues with previously published designs and systems for non-completed instant-winner lottery tickets, including limitations on size of jackpots, limitations on game features, limitations on comprehensiveness of systems, administrative costs and burdens, limitations on self-vending, and theft and pilferage.
As mentioned, one of the major problems with traditional instant-winner lottery tickets is theft, and instant ticket vending machines were developed to minimize the risk of theft. However, a problem in the sale of traditional instant-winner lottery tickets in vending machines is that the machines usually are large and robust so as to thwart break-ins. Also, they are relatively complex to enable them to dispense multiple games. This is because up to 24 different types of game tickets are stored in the machine at any one time and up to 24 sets of dispensing equipment must be provided to dispense them. This means that the machines are costly to make and maintain. It also means that their use usually is restricted to high-traffic sites.
In order to reduce the chances of theft of such vulnerable tickets, it has been previously suggested to use instead “non-completed” lottery tickets. A non-completed ticket, as described in prior publications, is one that has only part of the play data preprinted on it and must have additional play data printed onto the ticket to compare to the first pre-printed play data to determine if it is a winner or loser. The suggested process involves scanning the non-completed instant ticket at a lottery terminal or instant ticket vending machine at a point of purchase. The terminal or vending machine would be connected to an offsite host computer that would receive the information read from the ticket and send back the completed play data. That data then would be printed on the lottery ticket. The customer could then determine whether the lottery ticket was a winner or loser by comparing the completed play data with the pre-printed partially completed play data for a “match.” Ultimately, it is believed, the suggested system was never commercially implemented.
A similar system which was used commercially for a short time used draw-type lottery terminals (e.g. terminals used to sell “Lotto” tickets) to print play data needed to complete the pre-printed ticket on a separate slip of paper, referred to as the second game piece, instead of directly on the pre-printed ticket. The customer then would determine whether the pre-printed ticket was a winner or loser by comparing the completed play data on the second game piece with the partially completed play data on the pre-printed ticket. The second game piece and not the original ticket was then used as the confirmation receipt for claiming any prizes won. Other than the printing of the second set of play data on a second piece of paper rather than pre-printed the ticket itself, the system was very similar to others previously suggested.
One problem with the latter system is that the non-completed ticket must be handled at the terminal by a retail employee who must be paid, thus generating extra operating costs.
Further, often only one draw-type lottery terminal is available at a given retail location, thus restricting the customers' access to that terminal. Such a restriction may inhibit the growth of instant-winner lottery ticket sales, which generally involve impulse purchases that need high visibility and convenience to maximize sales.
Another problem associated with the previous suggested non-completed ticket systems is the inflexibility of the systems and the lack of additional excitement for the players. Such previous systems required the use of tickets with only part of the play data pre-printed which limits game design. Further, each system was limited on the type of jackpots that could be provided to the players.
Progressive jackpot systems and methods have been proposed for use and used in the past in various non-instant-winner lottery gaming systems and proposed for use in certain processes of traditional instant-winner games, but believed to never have been commercially used due to a variety of problems with such proposals.
In a progressive jackpot system, a jackpot grows progressively with sales until one wins the jackpot, then another lower amount is generally provided to start a new jackpot. Often, a “shadow” jackpot is developed simultaneously with ticket sales so that an amount related to the first jackpot will be available to replace the first jackpot when it is won.
Another prior proposal suggests scanning each ticket during the process of dispensing the ticket from a vending machine, and then determining jackpot winnings. Applicant has recognized that this proposal is extremely expensive and subject to irremediable failure and does not provide for making non-activated tickets available to customers, without a dispensing machine.
Some prior proposals have suggested giving the ticket buyer an automatic entry into a draw-type lottery jackpot to be drawn at some future date. The applicant herein has recognized that this proposed gaming system lacks the excitement of an instant-winner progressive jackpot. Furthermore, in the typical draw-type jackpot drawing, many other lottery ticket buyers typically will compete for the jackpot prize, thus diluting the instant ticket buyers' chances of winning.
In another prior system, a draw-lottery type terminal has been proposed for offering instant-winning games, together with progressive jackpot games. It has been proposed to print out the results of the instant game and the jackpot on ordinary draw-lottery type receipts, that is, on ordinary paper slips.
Applicant has recognized that this proposal is seriously deficient, in that it eliminates the opportunity for the customer to choose among many different games displayed on pre-printed tickets, and thus participate directly in the playing of the game by visual selection, and eliminates or reduces the attraction which can generate impulse purchases.
As previously mentioned, theft and administration are serious concerns for lotteries, and the security process for traditional instant-winner lottery tickets continues to be costly, labor intensive, administratively cumbersome, and not fool-proof.
The comprehensive system of this invention is believed to solve or alleviate the limitations found in the prior proposals while virtually eliminating the issues of theft and the need for cumbersome and administratively burdensome tracking systems because tickets can be made to be virtually worthless until purchased.
There is constant pressure on lotteries to deploy innovative instant-winner lottery ticket games to keep players excited and playing. The comprehensive system of this invention can give designers greater freedom to create innovative new interactive game designs for lotteries.
There is constant pressure on lotteries to create “large” theoretically unlimited prize amounts (such as those prize amounts found with Powerball and Mega Millions), which are difficult if not impossible to create with pre-set prize amounts in batched traditional instant-winner lottery tickets.
Unlike the prior methods proposed for progressive jackpots, the system of this invention can greatly improve the prize structures the lotteries can set for instant-winner lottery tickets and make commercially possible a new methodology for a progressive jackpot game for instant-winner lottery tickets. Further, even though a multi-lottery jurisdiction system for a progressive jackpot for traditional instant-winner lottery tickets was previously proposed, the methodology for such a system is believed to be commercially impractical. The comprehensive system of this invention is believed to make possible a multi-lottery jurisdiction progressive jackpot game, with prize amounts that could theoretically rival that of Powerball or Mega Millions, depending on the size of the customer base, while still maintaining smaller and intermediate prizes to maintain player interest.
The internet and mobile devices have changed peoples' habits on how they transact business and personal matters and the lottery industry is pressed to incorporate these means into their product line. The comprehensive system of this invention can provide and integrate interactive instant-winner lottery tickets for use with mobile devices and personal computers because the system can, among other things, be designed to: securely communicate with virtually any device; provide the option of having the outcome determination of tickets delivered via mobile devices and personal computers; provide for game simulation as part of the outcome determination, and; provide integration with initial play, second chance play, and extended play via the worldwide web and remote communication means.
Lotteries spend disproportionate costs to administer and maintain traditional instant-winner lottery ticket programs (versus the lotteries' on-line number games, e.g., lotto) and are under constant pressure to reduce their costs. The comprehensive system of this invention can significantly reduce the lotteries' costs of administration because the system, in at least one iteration, is able to provide constant information on the games, including real-time or almost real-time reporting for game sales, thus reducing many of the time consuming procedural duties currently required of lotteries to obtain such information from retailers.